Diet for 21 To 24 Week of Pregnancy

You have entered the sixth month and you need to be really careful of what you eat and what you do. Things are changing in your body and so you are. What do you need these four weeks and how to get them all through diet? In addition to just diet is there any specific or common problem you are facing now? Is constipation troubling you? If so, today we will see how to ease constipation as well.

How To Ease Constipation?

Constipation is something many pregnant women face these months. If you follow the diet given for previous weeks then you will not have this health condition because for previous weeks we have suggested you to take fibre rich diet to prevent constipation; however, you can still ease this condition by taking fibre rich diet. Foods which are rich sources of fibre are oats, cracked wheat, whole wheat bread and brown bread, fresh vegetables and fruits, dried fruits and nuts, etc. Like fresh fruits are rich sources of fibre, fresh vegetables are also very rich in fibre. However, we do not eat them raw and cooking reduces the fibre content and nutritional values in them. Try to eat more raw vegetables like spinach, salad greens, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, etc. You can also have steamed vegetables if you can’t eat raw. Drink lots of water and keep sipping it throughout the day. If you drink very little water then it can worsen constipation. Psyllium seeds and figs can also ease constipation which is one of the well-known home remedies.

Should I Have Vitamin A?

If you know already vitamin A is essential for vision especially night vision and healthy skin then you might have already known that it is essential for red blood cell production and cell growth as well. Vitamin A is not available in direct form but is available in two different forms which are retinol and carotene. Both of them are good and required for your and your baby’s health. Retinol can be found in egg yolk, milk and milk products, margarine, liver products, etc. However liver has too much of retinol in it; so, it’s better not to eat liver products. Too much of retinol can be harmful to your baby. Since vitamin A gets stored in the body you do not need to have it daily unlike vitamin B and C. Sources of beta-carotene include carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes, green vegetables like broccoli, watercress, spring greens and spinach. Though it can also be found in papaya there is a debate still going on whether papaya is good or bad for pregnancy. So, do not take risk.

Is Cholesterol Important?

Cholesterol keeps the placenta healthy and low cholesterol can lead to premature labour, as a result, your baby may have very less weight. This week if you test your cholesterol levels, the report will definitely show higher cholesterol levels than normal. Usually we strive hard not to have cholesterol but this is the time when you actually need cholesterol to protect your baby. It also helps in the production of hormones and having slightly more cholesterol than required will not harm you. So, unless your doctor suggests you, do not try to reduce the cholesterol levels and let them grow.

Breakfast

Keep the breakfast as energetic as it was before with products made from whole grains like whole wheat bread, multigrain bread or brown bread, oats, vegetables, pulses, etc. Continue having the breakfast we suggested before. Have sandwiches with plenty of vegetables, oatmeal porridge, oats with milk and cut fruits, yogurt with cucumber or cut fruits, healthy green salads, etc. This will give you enough energy to start off the day.

Lunch

Keep concentrating on all the vitamins and minerals we have suggested you for previous weeks and have a nutritious diet. This soup will provide most of those nutrients; slightly modify it as per our requirement if you want. You need chopped onion, olive oil or rapeseed oil, cubed potatoes, cubed celeriac, vegetable stock, watercress, grated nutmeg and black pepper. In a pan heat some oil and saute onion pieces and add celeriac and potatoes to it. Saute the vegetables and add vegetable stock to it and let it boil for some time. Once the vegetables are soft, add watercress and wait for another 5 minutes until they become soft. Blend this well till soft and sprinkle some black pepper and some nutmeg for taste. Sip the soup slowly while having multigrain bread and some cheddar cheese.

Snack

Smoothies are very delicious and healthy, and who doesn’t love to have a glass of smoothie in the evening? We have chosen carrot smoothie for you as an evening snack which will give you enough beta carotene required for you and your baby. Cut the papaya and remove all the seeds; carefully slice them into pieces and take them in a blender or juicer. Now add some apple juice and some mango juice to it. If you want you can also cut an apple and a mango and add those pieces to it. Pour in some milk as required and blend the ingredients well. Drop few ice cubes in it and have it chilled. The same way you can try beetroot and carrot smoothie or juice, fig and apricot juice, watermelon juice, steamed sprout salad, etc.

Dinner

For dinner this is a non-veg recipe you can try which will provide iron and beta-carotene. You need minced lamb, chopped onion, crushed garlic clove, ground cumin, diced sweet potato, diced celeriac, diced cooking apple, dried thyme and water. Take onion, lamb pieces and garlic in a pan and stir till it turns brown. Add ground cumin, celeriac, cooking apple, sweet potato and cook for few minutes; add water and thyme to it and let it boil. Add more water if necessary and let the vegetables become soft. Turn off the flame and have it with some rice, mashed potato and green vegetables like green beans or broccoli. Similarly, you can try different recipes with ingredients rich in carotene and retinol.

Diet for 21 To 24 Week of Pregnancy was last modified: September 25th, 2017 by Mounica